I Said I Changed My Mind
by Sydan Veri
Summary: Akiva Aerafyss lost all she had. Demons had obliterated her village and mortally wounded her. What happens when a certain masked warrior finds her? Rated T for a few lousy swears. Slight romance. OkiXOC


Blood. That was the only thing that I could see, across my vision and on the pure snow crunching beneath me as I dragged myself to who-knows-where. There were wounds all over my weakened body, the most severe on my abdomen. I pressed my shaking hand to the tattered area, wishing the flow of scarlet would stop and return my strength. A blinding blizzard howled unmerciful around me, freezing my body to a alarming temperature. I glanced around, searching for salvation, yet it was all in vain. White all around me, crimson beneath me, and darkness infiltrating my sight. There was absolutely no way that I could continue, and I crumpled to the ground, willing for an icy tomb to smother the flame of my heart, silencing the beat within my chest. My eyesight turned black, and I welcomed what I believed to be death as feeling lost its grasp on me.

_Crack. Snap._ My ears picked up the faint sound of a fire crackling, and my nerves sensed pain all over me. I groaned, trying to open my eyelids. It was trying to lift an anvil with your teeth. Painful and impossible. After moments of failed attempts, I eventually pried my eyes open, being assaulted by an unclear orange light that was painful to my sight, yet I kept them wide, fearing if they shut once more, I would never wake up. I tried to lift one of my hands, only for it to be pinned back down to my side, and I scowled. Who dared to restrain me? My view sharply turned toward what was holding my arm down, to be met by a figure clad in navy and red, with a turquoise lupine mask covering their face.

"Don't move," they commanded, and I realized it was a man from the tone of voice they used. I scowled. How _dare_ he?

"And why should I obey that order?" I hissed, sitting up a tad, ignoring the pain that attacked my abdomen. He pushed me down by my shoulders onto the mat I was laying on.

"Because I am not in the mood for anymore distractions and because I may get fed up enough to just slaughter you where you lie," he growled, beastly in nature.

"I _dare_ you to," I snorted, pushing up against the pressure he was putting on my shoulders.

"Just lay down and be quiet. I am not willing to slay someone this late into the night just because of arrogance," he snarled, turning his back on me and facing towards the fire. I rolled my evergreen eyes, scoffed, and turned my head away from him. As soon as I could, I would leave this place without another thought. My patience could not out-wait this man's temper forever. I closed my eyes, remembering the horror that had just befallen upon my village.

_Burning. That's all that filled my mind and senses. Blood. It was everywhere. The aroma of the dead attacked me, nearly bringing me to my knees. Roars of the beasts hammered painfully in my mind. I could tell there would be nothing left after this. Not even I would remain. My father had told me to run from our home as soon as demons had breached the front door, and I escaped out a window, guilt heavy in my heart as he stood to face them alone. Tears were streaming down my filthy cheeks as I sprinted through ash and soot, desperately trying to evade every assault made towards me. I was almost to the end of the village, before it struck. A large, shadowed dragon head came at me, skewering me on an ivory fang, now dripping with my blood. It laughed as I fell to the ground, and rocketed off to find its next victim. I should have been dead. But there was one thing I still had to do. I had to run, for my father's sake, if not my own._

I wasn't aware that tears had been slipping silently down my face until the man's voice reached my ears.

"What's the matter with you now?" he asked in annoyance, tearing a nastily burnt piece of fish off a stick that was cooking by the fire. My lord, he had no idea how to cook. How did he survive out here? That reminded me, where was I?

"Nothing you should be concerned about, though I honestly don't think you care," I said quietly, my face still turned from him. I could not believe that _now, _of all times, I had let the tears from within flow freely.

"You're right. I don't. But I may as well ask, shouldn't I? So tell me what's wrong already," he ordered gruffly, tearing off another piece of disgusting fish, pushed his mask up slightly, and popped it in his mouth. He replaced his mask in its original arrangement.

"...Fine," I reluctantly sighed, turning my head towards him, ivory hair infiltrating my sight as my bangs slid over my left eye. "My village was attacked recently by an army of demons and a large serpent." His ears perked at the word 'demons', and he turned his head slightly towards me. I continued. "My father told me to run as imps and chimeras burst into our home, and he faced them alone as I escaped out the window. The whole village was burning, and corpses littered the area. I ran, rushing to escape the village before the serpent ambushed me, skewering me through my stomach. It left me to die, but I got up and ran again, for my father's last wish for me to escape. I ran on until I came to a land of snow and ice, and I collapsed to the frozen tundra beneath me, continuing to crawl. I just remembered everything that had happened in the last three nights, and all the pent up anger and sorrow inside of me decided to be let known through tears streaming down my face. So there you go. That is what was wrong," I snorted, turning my head away from him again, furious that I had told him what had happened. I had never wanted to tell anyone, especially someone like him. He didn't say anything, just as I expected him not to.

"Your village... would it happen to have been Nakagawa?" he asked, breaking the silence after a time. I turned back toward him, hearing the name of the now forsaken village.

"... It was," I whispered, withholding tears once more.

"I was there in the fray, three days ago, returning home after traveling to Sei-an." I sat up, ignoring the dirty look he gave me and the slight stab in my stomach. I glanced down, seeing that all my wounds had been neatly wrapped up by linen cloth. I also noticed that my clothes were gone, my torso wrapped with bandages up to my collar bone, and I was wearing only a loincloth; I blushed. My thoughts were racing back to the onslaught once more, searching for a trace of this man having been there. I saw none.

"And you escaped?" I said hoarsely.

"You did, didn't you? So why should it come as a surprise?" he countered, tearing off more burnt fish.

"My god, you have no idea how to cook, do you?" I asked, grimacing at the disgusting burning smell. He chuckled, which seemed out of place for his cold demeanor that I had witnessed.

"I suppose that's an easy way to change the subject. I honestly don't care much for cooking. Why, does it bother you?" he said, obviously pinpointing what I meant by it.

"To an unbelievably great measure," I said, my expression deadpan. He chuckled again.

"I only do what I need to survive."

"And you didn't consider learning how to cook was necessary?"

"As long as what I eat is edible, I don't care for taste." My nose wrinkled in distaste.

"That hardly seems edible."

"Doesn't matter to me. Now lay down and get some rest before I knock you out," he said, all humor gone from his voice.

"Fine," I sighed, not even attempting to put up an argument as I lied down, closing my eyes. I heard a rustle of fabric, and then a female's voice.

"How is she doing?" she asked, and the man snorted.

"Stubborn as a mule, and likes to criticize on my cooking."

"Well, you _were _always a horrible cook, Oki," the girl said, enlightening me to the man's name.

"Don't you start, Kai," Oki snapped, jokingly. So the girl's name is Kai.

"Anything else about her?"

"She got her wounds from the massacre in Nakagawa, from a great serpent, she said. She basically told me her life's story there," Oki explained, and I heard the tear of fish skin, which made my skin crawl.

"So she was awake?" Kai asked, sounding surprised.

"I believe she still is. Aren't you, girl?" he snorted, addressing me.

"Perhaps," I answered, sitting up slightly.

"Didn't I tell you to lay down?" he growled.

"Does it look like I listened?" I retorted. Kai laughed, and I got a good look at her. She was tall and willowy, with two chestnut pigtails and a bun on top of her head, and wore a simple brown kimono. She was wearing a wooden doe mask.

"She's got a temper like yours, Oki," she giggled. We both snorted. "So what is your name?" I sighed; I was going to reveal more of myself, it seemed.

"My name is Akiva, daughter of the Chief Kohlrabi of Nakagawa, which now lays in burned cinders," I said, turning my face to the fire. There was a howl in the distance, and Kai glanced back outside, and I saw a flurry of snow.

"Kemu's calling for you Oki," she said, and he groaned.

"What could he possibly want now? Did Samickle try to pass something off on me?" he growled, standing up so that I could get a good measure of how tall he was. He seemed to be a few inches taller than I was. He stalked outside, disappearing into the white. The girl, Kai, remained, looking around nervously.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, and she jumped. "You seem to be waiting for something bad to happen or something."

"N-no, i-it's just that..."

"It's just that..." I prompted her, and she sighed.

"I'm not used to people who live outside of Wep'keer besides Oki, and I get shy around other people outside the village," she explained.

"Well, might as well get to know me. These wounds won't heal for a few days, and until then, I'm not leaving, unfortunately," I yawned, leaning back on my hands and glaring at my bandaged stomach. She came and sat next to me. I brushed a few hairs out of my eyes, and I smiled at her, which she shyly returned.

"So tell me about yourself." I sat for a minute, thinking.

"My name is Akiva Aerafyss, daughter of Kohlrabi Aerafyss, the chief of what was once Nakagawa. I'm twenty-one years old, and was to be wed to the head warrior in the village before the attack. The only thing that came from the attack that was good, and excuse me for saying this, is that I didn't have to marry him. He was pompous and walked over everyone that came in his path, especially the women of the village. I had one elder brother that died after a demon attacked our family on a hike. After that I was an only child. My mother died when I was born, and my father told me I was the spitting image of her. I mastered in archery skills and magic in my village. That's about all I can think of," I said, after listing several random things that came into my head.

"You're mother must have been beautiful, then. You're very pretty," Kai said, and I blushed. I never took compliments well. In fact, I took insults better.

"Thank you," I mumbled. I should have been used to this because of the people in my village always told me I was pretty. I didn't believe it. I thought I was average, except for my hair. I was about 5' 7'', of slight build, emerald green eyes, fair skin, and snow white hair with black tips. I thought I looked average, not pretty.

"I wonder what Kemu had to talk to Oki about?" she said aloud, and I shrugged.

"Hell if I know. I just woke up here. That reminds me. _How_ did I get here?" I asked.

"Oki found you on his way back from Sei-An, lying in your own pool of blood in the snow. He picked you up and brought you to his hut, and then came and got me to bandage you up, while he politely waited outside," she said, laughing at the last part. I rolled my eyes, giggling, and then abruptly stopped as Oki stomped into the hut.

"I'm guessing it went badly?" I said nonchalantly, and he threw a glare in my direction, which I smiled to. He swore.

"He wants to see her," he growled, shuffling through a pile of something in a trunk.

"But she's not in a condition to go see him!" Kai argued.

"I _know._ He's coming here," he grumbled, and tossed something dark navy blue at me. It was a silk kimono with silver designs on it. Kai stared at it open-mouthed. "Put that on," he ordered, and I didn't bother to protest. He crossed his arms as I slid the kimono on, the silkiness almost like water on my skin. Kai stood up from next to me, rushing up to Oki and whispering to him. He gave a sharp nod and mumbled something under his breath. There was a knock on an outer post of the hut, before a short man with a bulging belly stepped in, immediately staring at me.

"So this is the girl?" he asked, sounding a lot like Oki except that Oki's voice was deeper.

"Yes, Kemu," Oki answered, his voice deadpan. Mood-swing much? First it was pissed, then it was a little humorous, back to pissed, to annoyed, then to _really _pissed, to emotionless. Pick one, already!

"So, girl, you are the last of your village?" he addressed me, and I shrugged.

"I know not. I escaped, but I couldn't have survived without help." Kemu smiled, turning to Oki, who automatically turned into protest mode. Kai blanched.

"Oki—"

"No. I will not," he snapped.

"You have no choice. I sense great power in this girl, and you two are a great match. Oki, you are now this girl's guardian." Me and Oki responded simultaneously.

"Hell no!" we shouted, looked at each other, glared, and turned our heads away.

"You two even act in the same manner of temperament," Kemu chuckled, which made us both snort. We both turned to each other.

"Stop that!" he snapped.

"You stop!" I snarled. We went into a full-out obscenity contest at this point, and Kemu had to step in.

"Enough! Both of you! Whether you like it or not, you have to guard this girl until she is well enough to fend for herself." I _did _not like the sound of this. I did _not_ want to stay here. I wanted to go somewhere else. Oki swore.

"Why me? Why the hell do _I _have to do it? Why not Samickle?"

"He has other things to attend to, whereas you just practice swordplay constantly. Why, I do not know. You are our finest swordsman." It was my turn to blanch. This all sounded way too familiar. I cursed under my breath. This sounded like when my father arranged my marriage that I had abhorred. Kai glanced in my direction, and I was staring at the blaze of the fire, scowling. _I hate my life I hate my life I hate my life..._ echoed in my head, and I agreed with it.

"I will check in on you both in a few days. Make sure not to strangle each other," Kemu laughed.

"No promises," Oki and I both muttered, and we just glared at each other. Kemu then left the hut, leaving two people in sour moods and one that seemed confused.

"No matter, I suppose. I'll be gone in a few days, anyway," I said, removing the kimono, folding it, and placing it beside me. Kai picked it up and replaced it in the trunk, while me and Oki glared at each other in a contest.

"Would you both stop? You need to get to get along for the next few days!" Kai said, exasperated.

"I'll hang her in chains if she tries anything," Oki snapped.

"I'll kill him if he tries," I growled. We both launched into another argument, and Kai gave up in calming us down, and walked out of the hut. After about an hour we both calmed down, and returned to stoney silences. I resolved to lying down instead of sitting up, and turned my face to the wall. I closed my eyes, attempting to gain some sleep, only to be assaulted by nightmares.

"_Thought you could run, did you, Descendant of Larka?" the dragon rasped, his blood stained teeth pulled into a gruesome smile. My head snapped in his direction, hatred deep within my heart._

"_How dare thee... How dare thee call me by mine rightful title, thou scourge of the earth? Thyself wishes for death, is it?" I spat in the old tongue on my family without realizing it. The serpent laughed, crimson spattering onto my face from its jaws. _

"_So you admit to being the descendant of the god of wolves, Larka? My premonition was correct, then. You reek of the scent of their kind." I stood up shakily, a hand on my stomach trying to cork the flow of claret blood. A voice that wasn't mine echoed from my mouth, as if I was speaking three-fold at once._

"_Thine scaled hide will meet its end by the claws and teeth of the lupine creatures. Thou shalt be slain by the goddess of the sun, Okami Amaterasu. This mine descendant hath foretold," a power of divinity prophesied, and then all at once it left me, leaving my body slightly stronger than it was. I walked away from the creature, for it was unable to follow me as lighted beings attacked it. It screeched curses at me, saying darkness would follow my path to end me._

I sat up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Oki was looking at me from the fire, holding a piece of fish frozen in place an inch from his mouth.

"Can I help you?" I snapped, crossing my arms. Why did this guy insist on looking at me? He shook his head, returning to the fire, mumbling something about hearing things. Then I noticed something off. I felt around my abdomen, mainly where the wound was, except it wasn't there. I unwrapped the bandages from the bottom to get a better look. Sure enough, there was new, tender, pink skin where the wound had been.

"What are you doing?" he demanded as I stood up, wrapping the bandage back around my waist. I looked at him with mute amusement. I ran a hand through my hair, removing any knots that could have formed.

"What does it look like? I'm leaving," I said, striding towards the door of the hut, and Oki caught my wrist.

"No, you're not. Sit down." I snatched my arm out of his grasp, growling lowly.

"Your chief said you had to be my guardian until I was well enough to fend for myself. Guess what? I'm well and can defend myself. Now I'm going to leave and you can get on with your life and your horrible cooking," I sighed, waving my hand dismissively in a goodbye. As soon as I got to the entrance, the open space froze over with ice.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped, turning around to face Oki, who was standing in front of me. I was right. He was a good five inches taller than me.

"You won't be able to leave because of what Kemu said, no matter how much I would like you to be gone. When he said I had to be your guardian," he turned his head in disgust, "he practically engaged us both." God. Damn. It!

"No. Hell no. I'm tired of arranged engagements, especially to another warrior. I won't. I just won't." I placed my hand on the ice, sending a burst of heat through my palm, melting the frozen barrier. Oki caught my wrist, and I roundhouse kicked him in the jaw, sending him flying back. "I said no. I don't care what your tribe's customs are. I'm not part of your tribe!" I yelled, my fists clenched. I noticed that his mask flew off on impact, landing in the fire and tinting the flames blue and green. Oki was rubbing his jaw, glaring at me through scarlet eyes. He was the spitting image of a man that had secretly been courting me. Tears steamed down my cheeks at this point, and I bolted out the archway into a flurry of snow. The sky was dark, and the moon glistened full in the sky, and I couldn't help myself. I took a deep breath, gathering it deep within me, and howled to the sky, breaking the bond of silence I had taken when I was a small child. The snow howling around me calmed into a light snow fall, and the clouds cleared from the sky. I felt a surge of electricity in my veins, and collapsed to the white beneath me. My limbs elongated painfully, my hands and feet turning into paws. White fur sprouted on my body, with black spiraling designs, and a tail was formed out of the loincloth I was wearing. My ears sharpened into points, and my mouth lengthened into a snout, filled with sharp needlepoint teeth. There was the searing pain as my bones broke and reformed themselves into the shape they saw fit, and my ribs expanded. I let out a howl, sounding even more lupine than the last. I glanced behind me, seeing Oki standing there with a slightly shocked expression. I bolted off south, wanting nothing more than to be away from here.

I ran for thirty miles, exiting snow and my paws galloped against grass and dirt. I jumped off a bluff, landing on a wooden bridge that rocked dangerously. I stopped and panted for a minute, laying down on my stomach. I couldn't believe I had broken the pact of silence. I never wanted it to be known that I was a direct descendant of Larka. I knew that tribes, such as the Oina, could transform into wolves, but none of them had the crest of Larka printed on their forehead. I laid my head between my paws, warily watching a demon scroll float lazily a few yards off. My green eyes scoured my new surroundings, and I realized I was in Shinshu Field. My muscles were on fire, my lungs aching horribly. If I could just rest a minute...

A weight slammed into me from the top, and I spun around to face my attacker. A wolf slightly bigger than I was stood there, snarling. His coat was navy blue with red as a top coat, with silver designs on the sides.

"I told you," he growled, "You can't leave!" Damn it. I recognized the voice. It was Oki.

"It looks like I just did, did I not?" I snapped, sinking into a defensive stance.

"Must I take you back by force?" he snarled, tensing to attack.

"I _dare_ thee to. I would _love_ to see how well thou shalt handle me!" I roared, falling into the old language. "I have no reason to be in thine village! Why persecute me? What could thee have to possibly gain from me? Am I simply to be a toy for all who come across me? I'm sick of it! I'm sick of all of it!" I howled, lunging for him. We were a mass of snarling and biting fur, rolling down a hill and struggled at the base of a Guardian Sapling. Oki finally got the upper hand and had me pinned down onto the soil and I just ceased my struggling.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I asked, turning my head to the right as tears glistened down my fur. I couldn't believe I had dared to let them flow again. Curse you, tear ducts!

"Give me a reason I should let you leave, never to be bothered by me again, and I may let you go," he growled lowly. I slowly started to shrink, returning to my previous state of being bandaged and wearing nothing but a loincloth.

"Because you remind me of someone I loved who died in the massacre," I said quietly, and his eyes widened the slightest bit. "You remind me of the one who courted me at night. That's why. I don't want memories to haunt me by staying in your village." Oki slowly morphed back into a human, looking at me incredulously. He opened his mouth to say something, but a blur of white and red knocked him off of me, and they both rolled together a few feet off. I sat up, inspecting the newcomer. A female wolf with fur the color of new clouds was struggling with Oki, crimson markings adorning her fur. A mirror swallowed by flames circled slowly on her back. He kicked her off, rolling into a kneel with a sword by his side.

"Wait! Ammy, stop! Knock it off, ya big furball!" a voice screamed, and a small green light appearing on "Ammy"'s nose.

"Oki, what the heck were you doing to that sweet looking girl?"

"That's none of your business, bug," he growled, and the glow turned red.

"DON'T CALL ME A BUG, YOU MUTT!" the light screamed, and Oki snatched it off the wolf's nose.

"Don't call me a mutt and I won't call you a bug," he snarled murderously, and flicked the bug in my general direction.

"Ow... Hey, sweetheart, you doing okay?" it asked, and I soon saw it was a Poncle. He hopped to my knee, and I scowled.

"I was doing just fine," I muttered, crossing my arms in discontent.

"Hey, what's with the look, babe? We just saved you!" he protested, and I flicked him away from me, sending him away swearing. The wolf glanced at me in confusion, and thoughts that weren't my own entered my head.

"_Was it all a misunderstanding? Or did I miss something?" _The wolf was still looking at me, so I guessed they were her thoughts.

"_It was just a misunderstanding. He was about to get off me before you kind of... You know..." _I thought back, and she nodded.

"_I can tell you are not normal. Who are you?"_

"_...I am Akiva Aerafyss, direct descendant of Larka, god of wolves,"_ I revealed, standing up.

"_I am Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun. Pleasure to meet you, Descendant of Larka."_

"Why are you two just staring at each other, Ammy?" the Poncle asked, bouncing up and down on Amaterasu's nose. I rolled my eyes, starting to walk away. Oki ran up to me, catching my wrist _again. _

"Why won't you just leave alone? Please, just go away," I begged, turning around to face him. His eyes were soft, and he laced his fingers through mine, unexpectedly.

"Because I can't. Not under Kemu's will, nor under my own," he said quietly, and I shut my eyes, tears coming.

"I can't go back. I barely have the will to live. I don't want to erase that by being near you. Please, let me go," I whispered, pulling against his grip.

"Oki, you gotta be kindin' me. What the heck are you talking about?" the Poncle interrupted, and I opened my eyes to see him bouncing on Oki's nose. His crimson eyes narrowed, and he swatted him away.

"That is none of your concern, Issun," he growled, and Issun simply jumped onto the top of Oki's head.

"Y'know, she _does_ kinda look like Mikoto, especially in the eyes," Issun said, bouncing onto my nose.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, plucking him off my nose with my unclaimed hand.

"Oh, Mikoto was Oki's old girlfriend. She... passed away because of a demon attack and he couldn't protect her," Issun said, and I glanced at Oki, his eyes downcast.

"Oki...?" He wouldn't look up at me, and his hand fell from mine. He turned into his wolf form, and dashed away, in the direction of Kamui. "Oki!" I called out. _Irritating bug,_ I thought.

"What'd I do?" Issun asked, bouncing up and down on Amaterasu's nose.

"_I think you should go after him,"_ Amaterasu told me, and I nodded, and morphed into the wolf, which was not as painful as the first time. I chased after him, my paws pounding rhythmically onto the hardened earth beneath me. Ice appeared in front of me, and I simply jumped over the patch of coldness. I soon caught up to him, tackled him, and we got into another scrap.

"I thought you wanted me to leave you alone!" he growled, snapping at me.

"Well, I changed my mind!" I yelled, and we both returned into humans, wrestling. I pinned his arms down to the ground, but he rolled us so that I was pinned under him. His eyes were wet and his mouth was in a snarl. I wrapped my legs around his, flipping him over, unsuccessfully trying to pin his arms down as we rolled across the grass. I finally exhausted him enough that I could pin him down long enough for what I was about to do. I clamped my mouth on his, and he opened his mouth in surprise, and my tongue darted in, exploring his mouth. His tongue wrestled with mine, until he won and I pulled away. He stared at me in shock at what had just happened, and I sat up on his chest, smiling a little. "I told you I changed my mind," I said softly. He grunted and stood up, and I slid to the ground on my hindquarters. He just looked at me for a minute, before offering me a hand. I took it, standing.

"_Amaterasu, I want you to do me a favor. When you come across the snake, don't hesitate to end his life," _I thought, strolling away with Oki.


End file.
